Group H favorites Belgium trail Algeria 1-0 at halftime

Sevilla's Ivan Rakitic (L) kicks the ball next to Valencia's Sofiane Feghouli during their Europa League semi-final first leg soccer match in Seville, April 24, 2014. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo

BELO HORIZONTE Brazil (Reuters) - Sofiane Feghouli’s penalty gave Algeria a shock 1-0 halftime lead over much-fancied Belgium who failed to spark in the first 45 minutes of their World Cup Group H opener on Tuesday.

Feghouli, clearly pulled back by Jan Vertonghen as he got in front of the defender to meet Faouzi Ghoulam’s cross, calmly slotted past keeper Thibaut Courtois. The goal after 25 minutes ended a scoreless streak in the World Cup for Algeria that stretched back to 1986.

Belgium’s best moment came when Axel Witsel’s long-range strike was pushed away by goalkeeper Rais M‘Bolhi.